. NMT05-T0931
Volume VI · Page 931
| D. Testimony of Defendant Flick | |
| EXTRACTS FROM THE TESTIMONY OF DEFENDANT FLICK* |
|
| DIRECT EXAMINATION | |
| * * * * * * * * * * | |
| DR. DIX (counsel for defendant Flick) : Count three [count two]. Let
us begin in the West with Rombach. First of all, let us go back to the events
which took place in this country in the fateful years after the end of the
First World War. What happened, Mr. Flick, to the plants which were in German
hands in 1918, after, according to the Treaty of Versailles, Lorraine in itself
became French territory? DEFENDANT FLICK: In 1918 all plants passed into French ownership and then — Q. State or private ownership? A. As far as I know, first of all into State ownership, but I can only say so from my own memory, but I don't think 1 am mistaken. and then the State passed them on to private industry. This happened, as far as I know, because of long-term installment payments, and obviously under extremely favorable conditions for the private acquirers. On this point there were major disputes because of an interpellation in the French Chamber of Deputies. The public was able to continue to deal with this subject and did so, after a French professor described these events in a book which he published — the book was called, Le Pillage Le Plus Fructueux. Q. I assume that the interpreter knows French, but to make sure that it gets into the record correctly, would you be kind enough to translate it into German? A. Well, it means the most successful plundering. Q. The most successful plundering. Nietzsche's law about the eternal return of the same thing seems to apply here. A. Well, Le Pillage Le Plus Fructueux. Q. Please continue. A. Well, that's all I have to say about it at the moment. Q. But I think it is necessary that you should say something else. You have described how the property passed via the French State into the hands of French industrialists, but what about the Germans who used to be in these plants? A. All the Germans were completely expropriated. I assume they got some sort of compensation later, but to my knowledge |
* Further extracts from the testimony of defendant Flick are reproduced above in sections IV, H, V G, VI D, and VII E.
